World Music Features

Niyaz Niyaz's self-titled debut album pulls from Indian and Persian folkloric music, intriguingly set to tastefully crafted beats. All of it is created by innate machines of loving grace.

By Derek Beres

Maria de Barros

Maria de Barros Maria De Barros' crystalline, soulful voice and otherworldly appearance defy reality. But her genuine love of music, particularly of her homeland of Cape Verde, radiates flawlessly to the broad swath of listeners who have come to know her. By Eve M. Ferguson

Oliver Mtukudzi, photo by Andren Bannister

Oliver Mtukudzi Oliver Mtukudzi, or “Tuku,” as he is often called, has emerged as the most prominent musical spokesman for Zimbabwe, the southern African nation. Mtukudzi uses music as a vehicle for expressing his urgent message. By Craig Harris

Shukar Collective

Shukar CollectiveThe ursari tradition, the music used by the Roma to train their famous dancing bears, has gotten a recent makeover at the hands of a group of producers and traditional musicians calling themselves the Shukar Collective.By Jill Ettinger

Pepesito Reyes

Pepesito Reyes At 86, Cuban pianist Pepesito Reyes has led a live that most humans would die for, and he’s got the stories to prove it. For starters, he’s played with some of the most universally renowned musicians of the past century. By David Oancia Prieto

Nuspirit Helsinki

Nuspirit Helsinki Nuspirit Helsinki transcends geographical boundaries by employing a multi-hued global influence. The ramifications of this eclectic marriage are sure to extend the reach of multiculturalism through Finland and beyond. By Christian Uhl